Strength and conditioning


LET’S GET PHYSICAL It is widely


acknowledged that children can safely engage in strength and conditioning (S&C) but we must be aware that children are not mini- adults and that the training programme should consider their general and specific developmental needs.


When designing an S&C programme for


preadolescent/adolescent pupils, an item that we must seriously consider (along with many other items) is their current level of movement skill.


As I have stated in my previous articles, sport has one common theme – movement - and helping our pupils to understand, feel, and repeat good quality movement is, and should be, a priority in our S&C programmes, particularly in the early developmental period.


Following a standard S&C programme which provides a highly structured and prescriptive training routine of sets, reps, loads, etc. may not necessarily target the real movement


development needs of the pupil.


It is our job, as teachers and S&C coaches, to identify the needs of the pupils and to provide a programme that


fact that ‘movement development’ is a life skill and is something that can benefit both the performance, and participation population.


by Mark Spivey


addresses these needs in a fun, varied and stimulating way.


Kelvin Giles (Movement Dynamics) is recognised as a world leader in the teaching of movement development and he follows the premise that, for technical development to occur, an athlete's movement competency must be one step ahead of their technical competency.


So, why are so many coaches trying to accelerate an athlete's technical skill before ensuring that the athlete's physical and movement skill is in place? In a nutshell - why are some coaches asking pupils to run before we can crawl?


Thankfully, we have recently seen a surge in the delivery of movement development programming in schools. Although these programmes are generally directed at the ‘athletic’ population, we should not lose sight of the


The development of an individual's balance, coordination, kinaesthetic awareness and postural control are all related to athletic performance. But we also need to be aware that they are equally applicable to everyday life.


Having applied similar movement programmes to dyspraxic individuals, I have seen a marked change in their movement competence and


confidence, skill execution, sporting and physical engagement and most importantly, their sporting enjoyment. So ideally, such a programme can be applied to all.


I strongly believe that regular small doses of good quality movement rehearsal is very important for good quality movement to be developed. The great thing is that these types of programmes can very easily and subtly be integrated in warm-ups and can be delivered to both the performance and the participation pupils in a fun way.


For me, the most important part of a movement programme is helping the


38 SCHOOL SPORT Issue No.81 January/February/March 2021


pupil to understand what it feels like to achieve a good movement shape and then asking them to repeat it again intermittently during the session.


It is quite surprising how quickly pupils will say ‘I didn't use my arms correctly’ or ‘I landed on my heel’ (for example) as they start to feel what is a good movement and what is not and they begin to self-manage their postural adjustments.


Having an S&C programme in a school is a luxury and sometimes can be


considered to be elitist, but the beauty of S&C programming is that it can be very flexible and can extend beyond the athletic population and provide support to the general school population.


As teachers, we have a duty to help all pupils to develop an understanding of the life- long health and wellbeing benefits associated with physical activity and a healthy lifestyle and S&C can play a large role in the delivery of this message through a for- all approach.


Mark Spivey is head of performance, fitness and wellbeing at Sherborne Girls School


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